All the pregame chatter centered on the quarterbacks, but Alabama’s defense was the unit that took over Saturday in Starkville.
No. 7 Alabama rolled past No.
16 Mississippi State 56-23 to move to 5-0, and the Crimson Tide did it by turning the Bulldogs’ offense into a mess. Alabama sacked Kamario Taylor five times, forced four turnovers and held Mississippi State to 0.6 yards per carry.
That kind of control let the Tide build separation early and keep stretching it until the game was out of reach.
The opening minutes told the story fast. Alabama forced a fumble in plus-territory on Mississippi State’s first drive, then turned that into a six-play, 48-yard touchdown march. Ryan Grubb’s offense stayed on schedule the whole way, picking up at least four yards on every snap before Ryan Coleman-Williams finished it off.
Just over a minute later, the lead doubled. Taylor was intercepted by Dijon Lee, who returned it 30 yards for a touchdown, and suddenly the Bulldogs were staring at a quick 14-0 hole just 6 1/2 minutes into the game.
Mississippi State did manage to answer. Taylor settled in and guided a 12-play, 75-yard drive that got the Bulldogs on the board, and then Alabama responded right back when Keelon Russell scored on a 17-yard scramble on the first play of the second quarter. That run came with an open-field pancake block from tight end Kaleb Edwards helping clear the way.
For a stretch, it looked like the QB duel everyone expected might actually take center stage. Instead, both defenses tightened up and the game drifted into a punt exchange.
Then the chaos started.
With Mississippi State lined up to punt again around the nine-minute mark of the second quarter, Dijon Lee muffed it and handed Taylor another chance in Alabama territory. Bray Hubbard forced a fumble two plays later, putting Alabama in position to break it open, but Daniel Hill fumbled it back - his second lost fumble of the first half. Mississippi State made the most of that gift, reaching the 11-yard line and getting a touchdown pass from Taylor to Zion Ragins to trim the deficit back to seven.
Alabama answered with a burst before halftime. After another stretch of punts, explosive completions to Lotzeir Brooks and Ryan Coleman-Williams got the offense moving again, and Trae'Shawn Brown scored at the two-minute warning. Mississippi State added a field goal before the break, but Alabama still carried a 28-17 lead into halftime.
The question after intermission was simple: which Alabama offense would show up? The group that looked sharp against Kentucky and Florida State, or the one that had gone quiet against South Carolina?
Russell answered immediately. He led a seven-play, 75-yard drive and finished it with a third-and-long strike to Rico Scott, pushing the lead to 17.
On the next Mississippi State possession, Caleb Woodson picked off Taylor and set Alabama up at the Bulldogs’ 21. Three plays later, Brown found the end zone again, and the Tide were ahead by 25.
Taylor did connect with Anthony Evans III on a deep touchdown later in the game, and Evans finished with 12 catches for 166 yards and two scores. But Alabama answered again, and that drive marked the final appearance for either starting quarterback.
Austin Mack then stepped in and led a touchdown drive of his own in the fourth quarter, highlighted by a 37-yard run from EJ Crowell.
Alabama’s offense didn’t need one star to carry the night. No receiver topped 100 yards, no running back reached 70, and seven different players got at least a half-sack. Put it all together, and the Crimson Tide left with what looked like its most complete performance of the season.
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Alabama Found Two Reasons To Feel Better Before Georgia
Before Alabama turns its attention to Georgia, there were a couple of encouraging signs worth noting from the latest game. Keelon Russell gave the offense a lift by throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns while adding a score on the ground, and the run game got meaningful help from a deeper group of backs, including Traeshawn Brown and EJ Crowell.
Xavier Griffin also stood out on the other side of the ball, leading the team in tackles and helping make several key defensive plays. Just as important for a defense looking to steady itself, Alabamas run front was much firmer against Mississippi State, holding the Bulldogs to 18 rushing yards and giving the Tide something concrete to carry into a bigger test. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Underwoods Struggles Leave Michigan With An Uncomfortable Week 5 Reality
Keelon Russells rise has become one of the more notable developments around Alabamas early-season start, and the quarterbacks recent stretch has only sharpened the attention. After throwing four touchdowns in the spring game and then piling up 10 passing touchdowns and 970 yards over three games, he has helped steady a team that rolled to a 56-23 win and moved to 5-0.
For Alabama, that kind of production matters not just in the standings but in the broader SEC picture, where quarterback play can change the feel of a season quickly. Around the country, other programs were dealing with their own storylines in Week 5, but Russells emergence has given Alabama a promising answer at the position and left the rest of the league watching what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Has A Real Shot To Climb After Saturdays Top 25 Chaos
Saturdays college football slate did Alabama a favor, even before the next AP Top 25 poll gets posted. USC barely survived an upset scare, Ohio State and Missouri both had results worth watching, and a few teams around the country did enough to create the kind of weekend that tends to shake up the middle and upper tiers of the rankings.
For Alabama, the bigger point is simple: the Crimson Tide have a real path to move up if the voters decide the chaos mattered as much as the resumes. The poll will be refreshed soon, and with conference play still unfolding, there is a decent chance the order gets jumbled in a way that opens the door for Alabama to climb if enough teams ahead of it wobble. [Read more 🡒]